Inmates from the Corradino Correctional Facility will be building furniture for apartments set up to host cancer patients seeking treatment in London. 

The furniture will be going to 29 newly-built apartments in Sutton, London, the latest built by the charitable organisation Puttinu Cares - an NGO that supports people going through serious illnesses. 

The initiative - called “Għal Puttinu mill-Qalb” - was announced by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri on Friday, where he highlighted the importance of rehabilitation programmes to help integrate inmates into society.

Over the years the ministry has focused on education and training prisoners in skills that might help them find work once they leave prison, the minister said. 

On Thursday, L-Istrina 2024 raised €5.2 million for the Malta Community Chest Fund on Thursday, broadly in line with the 2023 edition and slightly more than the previous year’s.

Camilleri said the opportunity to contribute to such a good cause would 'fill inmates with a lot of satisfaction'. 

The minister also said that the inmates would be paid for their work and would receive some €300 a month. 

While the figure may seem low, Camilleri stressed that inmates taking part in the initiative feel a great sense of satisfaction for the positive impact they are leaving.

He did not rule out future increases in prisoners' pay as a possibility, but he noted that the prison already has a great number of expenses.

Puttinu could have easily found a sponsor to help fund these works, Camilleri said but expressed gratitude that instead an opportunity had been found for prisoners to give back to society. 

“This is also an initiative that favours victims,” Camilleri said, as it is part of a process to ease prisoners back into society without harming anyone.

‘I feel grateful’

Prison director Christopher Siegersma further highlighted the importance of such initiatives by reading a letter from an inmate who was selected to work on the project. 

.“I felt grateful. Grateful that what I will do behind this wall, will leave a positive impact,” the inmate said.

CEO of Corradino Correctional Facility Christopher Siegersma. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Puttinu Cares president Angela Cuschieri explained how the new 29 apartments will be an extension of the organisation's building in Sutton. 

After a year and a half, Puttinu managed to get a permit for this additional floor, which is going to cost around €25 million.

Puttinu Cares Foundation has a number of apartments in England that serve to house cancer patients who are receiving their treatment there.

Cuschieri admitted she was initially sceptical of the project, as the United Kingdom are outside the EU.

However, after figuring out the logistics, she commended the opportunity to be part of an initiative that allows inmates to lessen the suffering of cancer patients.